Coin-controlled clock bank



Apr. 10, 1923. 1,451,305

J. B; MOORE ET AL com CONTROLLED CLOCK BANK Filed Feb. 24, 1922 2sheets-sheet 1 I l I I Apr. 10, I923. 1,451,305

I J. B. MQORE ET AL COIN jCONTROLLED CLOCK BANK Fi'led Feb. 24, 1922 2sheets-sheet 2 Patented Apr. 10, 1923.

UNITED s'raras' PATENT OFFICE. 1

JAMES BALLARD MOORE AND GEORGE DOMINIC GALLAGHER, OF WASHINGTON,

DISTRICT OF COLUIJBIA. I

COIN-CONTROLLED CLOCK BANK.

Application filed February 24, 1922. SerialN'o. 538,908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES BALLARD Moonn and Gnonon DOMINIC GALLAGHER,citizens of the United States, residing at Washington, D. (1., haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled ClockBanks, of which the following is a description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to a money box or savings bank and moreparticularly to a savings bank having a time piece therein constructedand arranged to be wound on the insertion of a coin.

Heretofore it has been proposed to rigidly mount a. time piece in a bankand to either normally lock the winding arbor of the time piece frombeing wound by coin cont-rolled locking mechanism; or it has beenproposed to prevent the winding arbor from being wound by masking itwith a movable shut ter or guard so as to normally render the windingarbor inaccessible for winding. These guards in such instances have beenlocked from releasing movement but have been arranged to be released bythe insertion of a coin, thereby rendering the winding arbor accessiblefor winding the time piece. Such prior constructions have been in amanner objectionable because of their complicated and expensive coincontrolled mechanism and because of the general inornate appearance ofprojecting operating parts such as the movable guard and the ac tuatingplunger-for operating the guard or the coin control mechanism.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a coin-controlledtime piece savings bank embodying either of the before men tioned typeswhich will bestrikingly simple, ornamental and effective.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a banksubstantially freed of the more or less unsightly projecting plungersand control mechanism. wherein the opera tion is. effectedby shiftablymounting the time piece in the bank, in coin controlling the shiftingmovement, and in utilizing the shifting movement to permit the windingof the time piece. This broad aspect of the invention comprehendseither, a construction wherein the winding arbor is normally positivelylocked against winding movement or is normally inaccessible for winding.And it further embraces either. a construction wherein the winding arboritself is used as a means for shifting the time piece or a constructionwherein a-plunger, coin, lever 01' other means is utilized-for shiftingthe time piece.

Still another feature of the present invention resides in theutilization of a specific shifting movement of the time piece, namely,an oscillatory move1nent,wherein the time piece has its winding arbornormally in-- operative for winding but which, on oscillation of thetime piece is rendered operable for winding.

An additional phase of the invention resides in so oscillata-blymounting the time piece in the bank with the dial thereof pappearingthrough a corresponding dial aperture in the bank, that on oscillationof the time piece from normal non-winding to term porary windingposition the time piece dial, while maintaining a' perfect fit in the;dial aperture of the bank 'willoscillate relatively thereto so .as torender the face of, the time piece inconveniently positioned tobeeasilyreadable .if, left in winding. position thereby preventing, misuse ofthe device.

Yet another feature of the -invention're-' sides in utilizing theenclosing walls of the bank itself as a direct means for-preventing thewindingshaft of the time piece from being wound. And thisadaptation ofthe invention includes not only constructions for positively locking thewinding arbor from movement but also constructions preventing normalaccess to the winding arbor.

. Still a further object of the invention {resides in providing a bankinclosing a;time piece having an ever accessible winding arbor. normallyincapable of being wound but releasablefor winding on, the insertion ofa coin. This broad feature of the invention embraces. eithervaconstruction wherein the time pieceuis shiftable to effect the releaseor a stationary time piece construction wherein some locking mechanismis shift- .able to effect the release.

as a clock or watch, embodying a preferably specific type of lockingmechanism, the specific coin control mechanism, the specific means forpreventing the recovery of the coin after insertion, the means forinsuring the return oscillation of the time piece after its initialmovement to winding position,

the novel cradle for the time piece, and its mounting in the bank casingand other specific and broad details of construction not hereinparticularly recited.

These and other objects will be apparent from a perusal of the followingspecification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswhich illustrate the preferred embodiment of one form of the invention.Referring now to the drawings,

Figure 1 represents a front view of one form of the invention, certainparts being broken away.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof, the top of the casing being brokenaway.

Figure 3 is a side elevation with a part of the casing broken away.

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the front extension of the bankcasing.

Figure 5 is a plan View thereof.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the partition and coin chute.

Figure 7 is a front elevation thereof.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the spring locking finger.

Figure 9 is aside elevation thereof.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the coin slide.

Figure 11 is a front view thereof.

' Figure 12 is a rear view of the cradle for the time piece.

Figure 13 is a side view thereof.

Figure 1% is a plan and side View, the latter in section of the slottedsleeve for gripping the winding head of the time piece.

Figure 15 is a plan and side View of the auxiliary winding head.

Referring now to that form of the invention which has been illustratedin the drawings as being one embodiment of the inventionit beingmanifest that such construction is merely illustrative and in no senselimitative, the bank or coin receptacle proper comprises an enclosingcasing 1 of any pleasing shape and size, preferably of sheet metal,having its front face 2 suitably apertured as at 3 to form an openingfor the face or dial of the time piece 4:. At the outset it is to beunderstood that the word time piece is used generically to designate astem Winding watch or clock or a clock having winding and settingcontrols at the rear or a stem winding clock or watch prm'ided withcertain attachments to the winding stem as hereinafter described, or aclock having suitable modified winding and setting controls at the rear.In fact the invention contemplates the utilization of any I be providedwith the usual additional coin and paper money openings, not shown.

The time piece t is mounted in the casing so as to have movementrelative to said casing and in the preferred form of the invention thismovement of the time piece is utilized as a means for permitting thetime piece to be wound. in the broad aspect of the invention theshifting movement of the time piece relative to the casing may be of anynature-including a. bodily shifting therein, but preferably the timepiece is mounted to oscillate about an axis about which the hands of thetime piece revolve. To this end, the time piece which in the pr sentinstance is illustrated as a stem wound watch or clock is carried in acircular cupshaped cradle 7, see Figures 12 and 13. This cradle is cutaway or notched as at 8 to permit the winding stem 5) to passtherethrough and the rear of the cradle is provided with. a punched outtit 10. The circular aperture 3 in the front wall of the casing isdishedin somewhat at this opening as at 11. The time piece carried inits cradle 7 is mounted in this opening 3 in such, a manner that theinner wall of the dishedin opening resiliently and firmly grips the faceof the time piece to provioe a circular bearing at this point. It willalso be noticed that the front circular wall 12 of the cradle 7 engagesbehind the circular dished-in portion 11 of the casing thereby forming agood circular hearing at this point also. The time piece is held in suchposition by means of a U-shaped sheet metal keeper 13 formed with acentral perforation 14: through which the tit 10 on the rear face of thecradle centers. In this manner the resiliency of the legs of the keeperpressing against the rear wall of the casing l and the apertured portion14: of the keeper 13 pressing around the tit 10 of the cradle, firmlyhold the time piece and cradle in position at the same time providing agood bearing both at front and rear, so that the time piece can beeasily revolved or oscillated about an axis passing through the axis ofits hands. The

above construction permits a ready assembly tit and then the time piecemay be removed as will hereinafter be evident. Manifestly various othermeans may be utilized for removably mounting the time piece in thecasing including variant types and designs of cradles adaptable to thedivers styles of time pieces and other designs of keepers and cradlemountings.

The present invention contemplates various constructions for utilizingthe shifting movement of the time piece relative to the casing in orderto permit the time piece to be wound. The present illustrated design isbut n example. For instance one aspect of the invention also embracesmeans for positively locking the winding arbor of the time piece fromrotation. A very convenient construction is disclosed in the drawings,wherein the usual Winding head of the clock or Watch is provided with anextension in the nature of an auxiliary winding head or key 15, whichmay be that of the standard stem wound clock or watch and is applied asa rigid extension of the usual winding head or key of the watch orclock. Obviously the invention includes any type of auxiliary windingattachment to any standard or modified time piece as hereinbeioreexplained. As shown clearly in Figures 1. 14 and 15, the usual stem 9 issurrounded with a sleeve 16, slotted as at 17. This sleeve is threadedat its upper exterior to engage interior threads on a surrounding cap 18provided with an upstanding square collar 19. This collar is broached orprovided with a square aperture or key-way 20 into which snugly fits thesquared end or key 21 of the auxiliary separable winding head 22. Justabove the squared end 21, this winding key is formed round as at 23 andthis round portion 23 is of the same diameter as a side of the squarecollar 19. Immediately above the round portion 23, the winding head 22is formed with a flange 24 which serves to hold the winding head inplace in the casing. Obviously the wind ing head is of two partconstruction so as to permit its assembly in the casing. As is evidentthe neck of this winding head 22 passes snugly through an elongated slot25 in the top of the casing 1. From the above described construction, itwill be seen that when the cap 19 is threaded down upon the split sleeve18, the latter is made to firmly grip the knurled head 15 of the timepiece. If desired a spacing two-piece washer 26 is placed around thestem 9. This washer is nothing more than an ordinary circular washerdivided diametrically so that it can be detachably positioned around thewinding stem 9. When it is desired to remove the time piece it is pulledout taking with it the sleeve 18 and cap 19, the separation takingplacebetween the square key 21 and the key way 20. The auxiliary winding head22 remains fixed in the casing 1. .The angularly shaped locking portionor keyway 20 of the collar 19 is formed of requi site length so that ondepression of the head 22 for the usual hand setting operation, thissquare portion 20 will sink below the level of the locking slot 28 ofthe locking spring 26 which is shown in its normally lowermost position,and the round portion 23 will pass into the slot 28 thereby permittingthe set ting of the watch. It is obvious that during this settingoperation, the winding mechanism is thrown out of operation by thelongitudinal shifting of the winding arbor as in all stem-wound,stem-set time pieces. construction, the watch may be set at any timeindependently of the coin-controlled mechanism for preventing thewinding of the arbor.

Means is provided for preventing the winding arbor of the time piecefrom being wounds While in certain embodiments of this invention thismay be accomplished by rendering the winding arbor inaccessible, ashereinafter described, the present drawings illustrate means forpositively holding the winding shaft from rotation. One form of thispositive means is illustrated as a resilient locking spring 26, seeFigures 8 and 9, having one end thereof riveted as at 27 to'the sidewall of the casing. This spring is formedv at its other end with alocking slot 28. There is also provided a lateral coin toe 29. Thelocking slot 28 is shaped to snugly fit the square portion 19 of theauxiliary winding head and in such normal lowered position prevents thewinding shaft from being turned. By this construction it the spring 26is slightly raised the locking slot will surround the upper roundportion 23 of the auxiliary head 22, to permit the winding-shaft to bewound. The length of the slot permits the oscillation of the time piece.

Any desired coin operated means for operating this locking spring 26 maybe availed of. In the present instance a coin finger 29 is arranged tooscillate with; the time piece so as to carry a coin, by the oscillationof the time piece into contact with the lateral locking toe to cause thelocking strip 26 to be raised or moved at the proper time to free thewinding stem for winding rotation. In the present construction it ispreferred to rivet the coin finger 29 to a slide 30 herein shown ascurved to conform to the curved top of the casing 1. This slide isprovided with a hole or notch 31 through which the winding stem of theauxiliary head 22 passes so that oscillation of the time piece alsooscillates the coin tongue. In addition the slide 30 is provided withthe extensions'32 and 33 which cover the slot 25 and the coinslot 34 inIt will be seen that with such a the top of the casing. As a means forguiding this slide in its reciprocations and holding it in place theslide is provided at any convenient point with an elongated slot 35through which loosely passes a rivet 36 in the top of the casing.Obviously these details of construction are subject to change in design.

As indicated clearly in Figures 3 and 10, the coin finger 29 is arrangedat the rear of the time piece, altho not necessarily so, and is adaptedto normally rest under the coin slot 34 so that a dime or other coinwhen inserted will rest on this finger. The coin is guided laterally bya coin guide or raceway which in the present instance is formed by apartition member 37 most clearly shown in detail in Figures 6 and 7 Thispartition 37 is of sheet metal bent to the desired form and riveted tothe side of the casing as at 38 and 39. This partition forms the rearface of the coin guide. The front face is preferably formed by aseparate spaced sheet metal member 40 riveted as at 4:1 and 42 to thepartition 37. In order to prevent the return of the coin when it istranslated by the coin finger, the face of the partition is slotted toform the bent-in tongue 43, clearly illustrated in Figure 7 where the"front partition 4L0 is shown as partly broken away. At the base therunway is formed with an opening 44- so that the coin can escape intothe bank proper.

The partition 37 as arranged entirely encloses the coin controlmechanism for the time piece and isolates it from the coin holdingportion of the casing. To this end the partition is notched as at 45 tosnugly fit about the upper portion of the cradle 7. The partition isslotted. at one side as at 46 to permit the locking spring 26 to passfreely therethrough and is likewise slotted as at 47 to permit the endof the slide to reciprocate freely therethrough as the time piece isoscillated, Any desired spring arrangement may be used for quicklyreturning the time piece to normal upright position after winding. Tothis end the spring 48 is made fast at one end to the partition 87 andat the other end to any portion of the oscillatable time piece cradle 7or the slide 30.

In the operation of the device, on insertion of a coin, the auxiliaryhead 22 which constitutes not only a winding element but also the meansfor positively translating the coin to check controlling position, ismanually pushed to one side and the coin resting in the coin finger 29is carried past the detent 48. During this operation the winding arboris still held from rotation since the slot 28 of the locking fingerengages the squared portion 19 of the winding arbor. However, as soon asthe coin is car ried by the toe 29 under finger 26 the finger is raisedso that the slot 28 now surrounds the round portion 23 of the windingarbor and the latter is now free to be wound. On release of the windinghead it is snapped back into upright position by spring 48 and thelocking finger 26 springs back onto the squared portion 19 of thewinding shaft to relock it. In case the winding arbor happens to liediagonally to the slot 28, thereby hindering the free downward movementof spring 26, the minute the locking head 22 is rotated the slightestbit the spring finger 26 will snap over the squared head and lock thesame from further rotation and the stripper tongue 43 prevents return ofthe coin. with the coin toe.

One of the advantages of this present construction of an oscillatabletime piece resides in the fact that while the dial or face of the watchmoves relatively to the casing it does not shift out of the opening inthe casing and constantly maintains its true bearing therein. At thesame time if the user attempts in any way to detain the winding stem 22in winding position, the dial ot' the time piece will be correspondinglyshitted and is conspicuously in a nonreada'ble position therebyimpairing the utility of the time piece while in such position. It ismanifest that various modifications of the generic invention arecontemplated, and it is not intended to limit the invention to theprecise embodiment illustrated except in so far as is restricted by thescope of the appended claims as interpreted by the prior art.

What we claim as new and desire to se cure by Letters: Patent is:

l. A bank comprising an enclosing casing forming a money receptacle, atime piece, means for shiftably mounting said. time piece in saidcasing, and means for permitting the winding of said time piece only onshifting of the same.

2. A bank comprising an enclosing casing forming a money receptacle, atime piece shiftably mounted therein and arranged with its winding steinnormally incapable of being wound and coin controlled means adapted topermit the winding of said stem on the shifting of said time piece,

3. A bank comprising an enclosing casing forming a money receptacle, atime piece, means for shiftably mounting said time piece in said casingwith its dial visible and its winding arbor normally incapable of beingwound, and coin controlled means for, permitting the winding of saidarbor on movement of said time piece, said time piece having its dialwholly visible during such shitting movement.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of an enclosingcasing, a time piece oscillatably mounted therein, means for locking thewinding arbor of said time piece from rotation and coin controlled meansfor releasing said locking means on shifting of said time piece.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of an enclosingcasing, a stemset, stem-wound watch having the usual knurled winding andsetting head mounted wholly within said casing, a substantiallyduplicate winding head secured to the wind ing head of said watch andprojecting through an aperture in said casing to permit said watch to bewound, a locking part on said duplicate winding head, and coincontrolledmeans in said casing cooperating with said locking part.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of an enclosingcasing, a stemwound, stem-set, time piece provided with the usualknurled winding head mounted wholly within said casing. a. false orauxiliary knurled winding head projecting through said casing so as tosimulate the first-mentioned winding head, and coin-controlled meansadapted to permit the winding of said watch by means of said falsewinding head. i

7. In a device of the class described, the

combination of an enclosing casing, a standard stem-wound time pieceshiftably mounted therein, a windable extension detachably secured tothe winding head of said time piece and projecting through said casing,means for locking said extension from rotation and coin controlled meansfor releasing said locking means on shifting of said time piece.

8. In a. device of the class described, the combination of an enclosingcasing, a stemwonnd and stem-set watch therein having a winding andsetting member projecting through said casing and constantly accessibleto be grasped for winding, said windable member having a locking portionlocated thereon within the casing, shiftable means within said casingadapted to engage said locking portion to hold the same from rotation,and coin-controlled means for operating said shiftable means, saidlocking portion and shift-able means being con-- structed and arrangedto permit the setting of said watch independently of the coin-controlled means.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of an enclosingcasing, a stem wound. stem-set, time piece therein having a windablemember projecting through said casing and constantly accessible to begrasped for winding, means for locking said windable member fromrotation and coin controlled means for releasing said locking means.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of an enclosingcasing. a time piece oscillatably mounted therein with winding andsetting means pro ecting through said casing, means for locking saidwinding means from rotation and coin controlled means for releasing saidlocking means on oscillation of said time piece.

11. In a device of the class described the combination of an enclosingcasing, a time piece shiftably mounted therein, and coin controlledmeans for permitting the winding of said time piece only on apredetermined movement thereof.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination of an enclosingcasing, a stem- .wound, stem-set watch mounted in said casing with aknurled winding and setting head projecting outside of said casing in anever accessible position to be grasped for winding and setting,coin-controlled means located within said casing and cooperating withthewinding and setting member of said Watch for preventing the windingthereof, said means being constructed and arranged to permit the settingof said watch independently of the coin-control therefor.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination of an enclosingcasing, a stemwound, stem-set time piece provided With the usual knurledwinding head mounted wholly within said casing, a false or auxiliaryknurled winding head projecting through said casing so as to simulatethe first-mentioned winding head, means forming a detachable drivingconnection between said usual and false winding heads, andcoin-controlled means for locking said driving connection from rotation.

14. In a device of the class described, the combination of an enclosingcasing, a standard stem-wound watch, means for detachably mounting saidwatch wholly within said cas ing, an auxiliary winding head disposedoutside of said casing, means forming a splined driving connectionbetween said auxiliary head and said watch stem head. so as to permitthe facile removal of said watch, and coin-controlled means forpreventing the rotation of said driving connection.

15. In a device of the class described, the combination of an enclosingcasing, a timepiece mounted therein provided with a rotatablemember, aturning head on said member constructed and arranged to freely projectfrom said casing in ever accessible position to be grasped for winding,said member being further constructed and arranged to have a limitedlongitudinal movementfor setting the time-piece, a locking member onsaid rotatable and longitudinally shiftable member, and coin-controlledmeans constructed and arranged to cooperate with said locking member tohold the same from winding.

16. In a device of the class described, the combination of an enclosingcasing, a timepiece mounted therein provided with a ro-' tatable memberprojecting through said casing so as to be ever freely accessible forwinding, said member being constructed and arranged to have a limitedlongitudinal 5 movement for setting the time-piece, coincontrolled meansfor locking said rotatable member from Winding, said means beingconstructed and arranged to release said rotatable member when thelatter is in hand setting position. 10

In testimony whereof, We affix our signatures.

Jrili [E S BALLARD MOORE.

GEORGE DOMINIC GALLAGHER.

